Go BottomRemoving cattails from ponds---what do you use
 | earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan 
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2007-06-03 142703
I have two ponds with cattail infestation. One is about 40,000 gallon the other is probabaly 100,000. The msall one is connected to an overflow drain that can fill a 1000' ditch. I also have customers with the same problem. Cannot use chemicals. There are Perch in them. The kids sometimes swim in them too.
A few years ago I backhoed the cattails out of there. But they have taken over and the backhoe won't reach now, nor will any other digging machine (tried it).
At one time I could back up to the edge of the pond and drop the brush hog and mulch them. But they're out 15' or more now.
Been thinking about a hay cutter/sickle mower that would be boom mounted to the trator that I could back down into the pond. Anybody done something like this? Or have a better/cheaper/easier way?
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 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2007-06-03 142705
This might be a dumb idea, but if you had something like a floating blade that you could drag across the pond it might either cut the tails or grab the stalks and tear them out. Maybe it could be tried on a small scale and scaled up in size if it works. ....
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-06-03 142707
I tried a 6' york rake attched to the end of a 20 foot boom on the skid steer. My skid steer is rated at 5,500 lb. before it tips. It not only tipped, but got stuck trying to pull just a few cattails along with a bunch of mud.
Thinking of playing with a device that has two garden tractor wheels/tires--one powered--opposing and touching each other at an angle (to form a slight vee)--sort of like a football launcher. I'm thinking that it might even be hand-held and hydraulically driven off the rear CUT remotes, have a floating base. It would be a slow process to pull one or two at a time but I think it's worth looking into. Might end up having three or four sets of wheels in a row on a common axle. (I saw my 11-y.o. niece pulling the cattails with relative ease---she pulled about 10 of them and gave up.) ....
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 | JasonR
Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 142 Northern Indiana 
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2007-06-03 142708
Not sure how deep it is around all of the cat tails, or exactly what your scenario looks like but...
I'm thinking of a floating lawn mower design, if just cutting the tops off is acceptable. It'd be attached to a small boat, or manuvered by a couple of ropes.
- Jason ....
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-06-04 142710
Like I mentioned I tried using the brush hog, which worked until the distance from shore doubled. However, it' amazing how much power it takes when the blades are under water. And the floating mess of debris isn't good either. ....
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 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan 
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2007-06-04 142715
The only way I know how to do this is by using a dragline and digging them out. If you mow them off, they just keep coming back and multiplying each time. Running mowers and such under water just ruins the equipment. ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-06-04 142717
We use a specially designed tool (
harvester) for doing that job, it is basically a rake but the teeth, which are horizontal when you are using the rake, come together in a point and the inside edge are sharpened. The harvester has no handle as such, just a tow bar of sorts and is attached to float by mean of a quick release mechanism.
In use, you string a rop from one side of the pond to the other, this becomes the guidline by which the harvester is positioned. There is a second line which connects to the harvester but which is a big loop, connected to the harvester head, and then running to both ends of the guidline and passing through a pulley at the back end of the guideline, and around a small capstan winch at the front of the guidline. The harvester is connected to the float line, and the guideline is pulled in reverse by the capstan until the harvester is out in the pond past the weeds, then the float is released, causing the harvestor to sink and lie flat on the bottom, the line is then pulled the other direction by the capstan winch, causing it to drag forward along the bottom, cutting all growth near the bottom. When it reaches shore it is cleaned of any debris, re-attached to the float, the guidlines are moved over the width of the harvester and the process is repeated until the whole pond is cut clean.
Then the clean up of cut material begins.
Best of luck.
....
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 | kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-05 142734
EW,
I found a chemical which if works per the way it reads may work for you. Link is below.
Have no idea it's name, but there is at least one chemical which will kill a lot of pond vegation and not harm the fish but is pricey and may require a special applicator license. Have a neighbor who is rep for the company and every few years we hire him to treat the pond. Yes there are fish in it. kt ....
Link:
Click Here
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-06-06 142768
Kenny, that Rep---how's 'bout sending a "sample" gallon my way ol' buddy, my hero (not a zero LOL)? ....
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| kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-07 142777
EW, My old or is that ole buddy...
The product the rep uses is rather high (not sure the exact price right off) and it does require an applicators license to us again if memory is correct. I know he puts it in the pond himself and does not just sell it to us.
I just realized who you remind me of and think he was based in Michigan also...TIM THE TOOL MAN! So why don't you put a long intake and exhaust on your BLUE tractor (since it is already blue it will not miss the oxygen) and just bush hog the cattails? I would suggest you get an oxygen tank as the curtails will let the water in the tractor cab. ROFLOL kt
EW, please, do not attempt that. It is only a joke. I want you to be sure you realize that was hunmor, do not attempt it. Ok, since you will think on it, post pictures. still LOL
....
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 | crunch
Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 271 Niagara County, NY
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2007-06-08 142781
I do remember as a kid rowing copper sulfate in a burlap bag around our pond until the crystal rocks disolved. Then one day my Dad brought home this gallon of liquid we poured into the pond. The pond went cloudy for a day or two then cleared up. Worked like a charm until one day we used too much and all the fish less than 3 inches long died. I spent a day going around the pond picking them up. A very stinky job. ....
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-06-08 142805
Crunch the CS was probably for algae, right?
....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4299 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2007-06-09 142809
Try 2-4-D Amine mixed with a heavy mixture of a good quality dish washing detergent on a nice hot, dry, wind free day. The environmentalist will scream bloodly murder but it works VERY well. Spray a very fine stream so a minimal amount & hopefully none gets in the water. ....
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| crunch
Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 271 Niagara County, NY
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2007-06-09 142810
EW, the copper sulfate was for submerged weeds. It didn't do anything for cattails. My Dad was always wrestling with the cattails. We just got in the mud and pulled them out by hand. ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2007-06-09 142817
4 or 5 gray barnyard geese will keep all your cattails at bay. Get some grass carp also. My pond always looks good except in the fall when over 100 Canadian Geese land. I'm just not swimming in there then.
I know they are from north of the border they end their HONK with an "Aaa"... ....
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| Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-06-11 142848
All good ideas here. Harvey is right, some geese will keep them well back too.
It's funny, Deputy Dog & I have a pretty regular gig going around here, whenever there's a big golf tournament they bring us in to keep the course clear of geese, we were away 3 days last week doing just that. He loves the job, or maybe it's just riding around in the golf cart, but he does a great job and everybody loves him. He also makes a few bucks bringing me a good bucket of pricey golf balls to boot!!!
The funny part is now that we're clearing geese, the courses all have more weeds, so now they need to hire us to clear them too.
God I love capitalism, LOL.
Best of luck. ....
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 | kwjunt
Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5 Michigan
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2007-06-17 142993
There is a company that makes different chemicals for use in ponds. Just got the catalog, haven't had a chance to order any yet but have heard good things. the name is Aquacide Company based in Minnesota. Try their link. Good luck. ....
Link: Aquacide Company
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| crunch
Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 271 Niagara County, NY
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2007-06-17 142994
Oh yeah - and my Dad eventually put in a couple chinese non-reproducing carp that were supposed to eat weeds (not cattails). I wasn't living home at that time but he seemed to be pleased with them. I think they were made available through the conservation department. ....
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| loghouse
Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 8 Missouri
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2007-06-23 143149
Try Eraser aquatic, worked great for me on cattails and water shield ....
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 | SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 579 g 
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2007-06-25 143214
EW,
I put 10 grass carp in my one acre pond. I think that it was 5 to many. There is no grass, cattails, or any kind of green vegetation where the carp can reach it. They have eaten the leaves off of the weeping willows that reach the water and any grass along the edge. I do not know how they will do with 8 or ten foot tall cattails. They even ate the floating algea. In Ga. the carp that I bought was sterile (State law)each state has a policy on grass carp your DNR (department of natural resources) should be able to help you with a vendor in your area. Ten years ago mine cost me $7.oo apeice for 12" carp.
good luck ....
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-06-27 143278
We had it stocked with Perch fish and some big gold fish (8" ers), but there is a stork that keeps stealing them. Any ideas to prevent that? ....
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